McCormack's Long Range Goal and Stingy Lady Falcon Defense Puts Women's Soccer in Championship Game with 1-0 Win at Queens

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Pfeiffer University senior Sara McCormack (Charlotte, NC) scored her second career goal, both in Conference Carolinas tournament play, during the 11th minute on Thursday night to send the third-seeded Lady Falcons into the championship game on Saturday with a 1-0 win over second-seeded Queens. Pfeiffer, improving to 13-5-1 overall, will head to top-seeded Belmont Abbey for the title tilt at 1:00 p.m. while the Royals ended their season at 10-8.

McCormack’s eventual game-winner came just 10:55 into the first half with an incredible long-range shot from about 40 yards out. McCormack, playing in the midfield, fired her shot inside the left post after corralling a loose ball on Pfeiffer’s side of midfield.

First half team stats saw the Royals outshoot the Lady Falcons 5-4, but the visitors held a 3-2 advantage on goal. Queens took three corner kicks to Pfeiffer’s one while each team committed three fouls. Lady Falcon keeper Amanda Wemple (Hayden Lake, ID) made two first half saves, one from point-blank range, while the Royals Michelle Landry (Atlanta, GA) also made a pair.

Queens fired four shots on goal with the final attempt being their best of the half as Kristen Wright (Salisbury, MD) was turned away by Wemple. Tish Patino (East Bend, NC) had the best second-half chance for Pfeiffer with a shot from inside the six-yard box only to see her shot knocked away by Landry.

Pfeiffer’s defense was stellar throughout the match posting their seventh-straight shutout advancing their streak of not allowing a goal to 707:20. For the match, Queens out-shot Pfeiffer 9-8, but the Lady Falcons had a 5-3 advantage on goal. Wemple made three saves in the win while Landry made four. On corners, the hosts held that mark 6-1 also committing 11 fouls to Pfeiffer’s nine.